On 'van Halen,' I Was A Young

When I'm Home On A Break, I Lock Myself In My Room And Play Guitar. After Two Or Three Hours, I Start Getting Into This Total Meditation. It's A Feeling Few People Experience, And That's Usually When I Come Up With Weird Stuff. It Just Flows. I Can't Force Myself. I Don't Sit Down And Say I've Got To Practice.

The Stainless-steel Frets Were A Major Breakthrough, Because Of The Amount Of Playing And Bending That I Do. I Have To Get My Guitars Refretted Every Couple Of Months.

It's Funny, When Bands Or Younger Musicians Ask Me: 'so, What Does It Take To Make It?' Well, First Explain To Me What You Mean By 'making It': Do You Want To Be A Rock Star Or Do You Want Music To Be Your Livelihood?

Imagine If Beethoven Had A Tape Recorder. Then You'd Know Exactly What He Meant. Maybe He Meant 'da Da Da Da' Instead Of 'boom Boom Boom Boom!' Who Knows?

You Only Have 12 Notes. Do What You Want With Them.